House of Borgia

The House of Borgia was a major family in Renaissance-era Italy. The family originated in Aragon, Spain, and Pope Callixtus III and Pope Alexander VI were of the family. The latter, whose lay name was "Rodrigo Borgia", was the most famous/infamous leader of the Borgias, and he was known for his corruption, incest, adultery, and cruelty; he had incestuous affairs with his daughter Lucrezia Borgia alongside his son Cesare Borgia, he had several mistresses, he gave Papal titles to his family or sold them to other people, bribed people to do his will, used cantarella poison to kill opponents, and waged brutal warfare across Italy to seize power. The Borgia allied with France during their war with Spain, and they were enemies with the House of Medici, House of Sforza, Savonarola, and small Italian city-states in Romagna, Tuscany, and northern Italy. The family has numerous descendants, with President of Ecuador Rodrigo Borja Cevallos belonging to the Borgia family.